Unreliable narrator(s) telling the twisty story through dual POVs, a Greek island, wealthy heiress with a lying, cheating husband and house guests who may or may not have devious motives...what's not to like in this perfect beach read of a book.

My favorite aspect of Ladykiller was the two different perspectives of the story, with Abby's being told first person, and Gia's through her memoir which is possibly fictional and the reader continually questions how much is true. The tension was high throughout, and I loved the hints, red herrings and clues that were dropped in and later brought into question.

What kept the book from a 5-star rating is the ending which felt like somewhat of a cop-out, and was not satisfying IMO. It did not ruin my enjoyment of the book, just left me wanting a bit more from it. From the author's acknowledgements, I saw that the book is in development for a film adaptation, which I look forward to.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House-Ballantine/Bantam for the digital ARC of Ladykiller by Katherine Wood. The opinions in this review are my own.

A young Atlanta lawyer named Abby receives an invitation and a ticket to fly to Kiruna, Sweden in September to celebrate her wealthy friend Gia's 30th birthday and see the Northern Lights. Also invited is Gia's brother Benny, Abby's teenage heartthrob. The lifelong friends haven't spoken for a few months, actually since Gia's hasty marriage to Garrett Torres that Abby cautioned her against, so maybe this is also an olive branch of sorts. But when Abby and Benny arrive at the incredible hotel in Sweden, Gia is a no show....

Gia's side of the story is told through a manuscript she's currently writing. She's already had one successful memoir about a death she and Abby were involved in as teenagers and this steamy writing could be a blockbuster as it's about the newlywed life she is leading with her sexy husband Garrett on an idyllic Greek island. But all is not going well in paradise.

And poor Abby has begun getting notes that she worries are preludes to blackmail--notes that hint at knowing the truth about what really happened when a young man died.

I was thoroughly enjoying this thriller up to a certain point but then twists took the plot in a direction I didn't care for. Sort of a head-scratching 'whoa--wait a minute--what's really going on here?' feeling which never really goes away from that point on. I wasn't comfortable with the 'anything goes' sexual exploits of the rich and famous depicted, turning what should be a loving, intimate act into something repulsive and degrading. Yuck.

I was invited to read an arc of this new thriller by the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Ladykiller had all the ingredients to be one of my favorite thrillers of the summer, but I absolutely despised the ending and that brought it down for me so much! I feel like when authors present a lot of heavy topics/difficult scenes they should do a better job wrapping things up in a way that doesn't feel like the things covered within were mishandled. I'm left feeling this way about Ladykiller even though the loose ends were some of the least jarring things that happened to these characters! There is a lot of back and forth in the timeline which weighed down the pacing and made the overall plot feel needlessly stretched out and the ending feel rushed and sloppy.

However, I really enjoyed the overall story, the writing, how unlikable most of the characters were—my favorite part about thrillers—and the setting.

4 ⭐️s
2 🌶️s

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine, Bantam, and NetGalley for providing an ARC!

Pub Date: 07/09/24

Get ready to be transported to a sunny island estate… with a dark side 👀

🛥 REVIEW: LADYKILLER 🛥

By Katherine Wood

📖 SUMMARY: A few months after a falling out with her heiress best friend Gia, Abby receives an invitation to celebrate Gia’s birthday with a glamorous trip. However, when she and Gia’s brother Benny arrive, Gia is nowhere to be found. They decide to fly to Greece, her last known whereabouts, to check on her, but when they arrive there, the estate is empty. They find an unfinished manuscript that describes Gia’s last few weeks — including juicy details about her brand new husband, her houseguests who are basically strangers, and Benny’s movie star girlfriend who seriously overstayed her welcome. As Abby and Benny read through the manuscript, they’re left to wonder… where is Gia?

💭 THOUGHTS: I absolutely love everything by Katherine Wood (who previously wrote under the name Katherine St. John) so I was so excited to receive an arc of her newest summery thriller. Rich people problems in Greece? Sign me up! I really enjoyed the dual narrative going on here, with Abby’s present-day and Gia’s manuscript going back a few weeks. I never quite knew who I could trust and I was questioning each character up until the very end! Pick this up for a great beach read.

Thank you to @randomhouse for the ARC! This book comes out this Tuesday, July 9!

✨ MADE ME FEEL: suspicious of literally every character and desperate to take a trip to a Greek villa

🥰 YOU’LL ENJOY IF: you loved her previous novels THE LION’S DEN & THE SIREN

Ladykiller follows two childhood friends, Gia, the rich heiress, and Abby, the daughter of the family’s chef. An incident when they were eighteen on a vacation in Greece at Gia’s family’s summer estate is now coming back to light twelve years later when Gia disappears when Abby arrives for a vacation with Gia. The story switches between Abby in the present day and Gia’s in the past through her unfinished manuscript. The manuscript pieces take over half the novel to catch up to the present day, which means that the pacing greatly varies between each timeline.

On its surface, the novel is about a childhood friend investigating the disappearance of the other friend; however, there are a lot more smaller plotlines that are weaved into the story. Like many mysteries, there are lots of twists and turns along the way. They were nicely written and were definitely reminiscent of the author’s style with her Katherine St. John novels, including The Siren and The Lion’s Den. Similar to those novels, the setting was well-described, and it was easy to imagine the environment. As Abby investigates and Gia’s manuscript moves forward, the reader learns about the other characters in their lives that may or may not be involved. The tone of the writing does a nice job of increasing suspense as more pieces are revealed. Overall, this story had a few elements that I wanted to be explored in more detail, but it was a nice beach read type mystery/thriller.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Bantam, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

Unreliable narrators ✅
Rich people behaving badly ✅
Slow burn ✅
Murder ✅
Spice ✅
Missing heiress ✅
Head shaking ending ✅

LADYKILLER has all that and more. It’s best to go into this one blind to avoid spoiling the ride. This is a slowly developing psychological thriller told via dual POVs. Everyone is hiding something and the lies are revealed a little at a time.

Tge story held my attention and had a number of unexpected twists. The characters are so unlikable which adds to the wicked level.

Thanks to NerGalley and Random House Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

A book filled with mystery, lust, and suspense, this is a story that’ll make you want to clear your schedule so you can just read! I have to say the first few chapters focus, of course, on building background, and were somewhat difficult to trudge through. But after that, the story got wilder and wilder and had me captured!

When an heiress goes missing, her best friend races to unravel the secrets behind her disappearance using clues left behind in an explosive manuscript…

LADYKILLER by Katherine Wood is a destination (Greece) thriller that oozes wealth and sex. Unfortunately, this one didn’t do a whole lot for me.

In terms of the good, I enjoyed getting multiple perspectives - the heiress Gia, and her best friend Abby - and I loved that Gia’s perspective came from a manuscript she was writing.

However, I didn’t love the story - it offered up a lot of nothing (unless you enjoy watching grown adults have affairs to get a rise out of their partners? and mysteries that have far more questions than answers?), and also culminated in some relationships that felt rushed.

Three stars because I thought the writing was there, but the story just did not jive with me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: July 9

Do you want to read a book that will have you questioning what the truth really is and leave you not wanting to put said book down? Then look no farther. This book centers around Abby & Gia, two friends from different social classes. When Gia's father passes and donates all his funds to charity, the estates are split between his children. Gia receives the house on an island in Greece, but due to her dwindling funds, and is forced to sell.

The book's main backdrop is the Greece home as Gia prepares to sell. Through her manuscript, she recounts her time as a newly wed and the repairs she makes to get the home ready for the next owner. Abby on the other hand finds herself back in the home when Gia fails to show up for her birthday vacation.

I recommend this book to anyone that loves a dual POV, a past & present POV, and unreliable narrator, a book within a book, and a mystery thriller that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

The author did an amazing job with this book. I found myself staying up late to try and finish it because each chapter would leave you wanting more. I also really appreciated the short chapters.

Thank you to Netgalley & Bantam for allowing me to read this book ahead of its publication date for an honest review.

She is beautiful, wealthy and missing, with only her manuscript left behind.

Gia had a privileged upbringing, the beautiful and impulsive daughter of tycoon Hugh Torres’ second wife. Her mother, a talented artist who suffered from mental illness and was ultimately institutionalized for treatment, was not the world’s best parent and neither was Hugo, but along with her younger brother Benny and her best friend Abby Gia had a glamorous upbringing. Abby, daughter of the Torres family’s chef, became almost a sister to Gia; they spent all of their time together and Hugo even paid for Abby’s education. Where Gia was gorgeous and wild, Abby was quiet and happiest in the background, but their friendship was deep and long lasting. It was further cemented the summer the girls were 18, spent as always at the Torres family home on the Greek island of Miteras, when Abby was sexually attacked by GIa’s abusive ex-boyfriend Noah and Gia intervened, killing him. Now adults, their lives have led in different directions and they don’t spend as much time with one another, but their friendship is still as strong. That is until five months earlier, when Hugo died and shortly thereafter Gia met and fell in love with Garrett and whom she decided to marry immediately. She asked Abby to drop everything and fly to Copenhagen for the wedding. Abby, now a law associate at a firm in Atlanta and pushing hard to make partner, not only couldn’t just take off work in the spur of the moment, she also had serious misgivings about Gia marrying someone she had only known for a month. She told Gia of her concerns, and it angered Gia a great deal…the two had a major fight and have remained somewhat estranged. Three months later Abby gets an invitation in the mail from Gia. Inviting her to celebrate Gia’s birthday in a month with her and Benny in northern Sweden where they will see the Northern Lights. It’s an olive branch, and Abby manages to to arrange the time off. When she arrives in Sweden, Benny is there….but there is no sign of Gia. As time passes, despite occasional messages from Gia, both Abby and Benny suspect that something is not right, especially in view of the strange behavior between Gia, Garrett and a couple they had befriended Benny observed when he had visited her a month earlier. They arrive on Miteras to find no sign of Gia, or anyone else, at the house. As they read the manuscript on which Gia had been working yet had left behind, which seems to chronicle Gia’s life since meeting and marrying Garrett, their concern deepens. What has happened between Gia and Garrett? Lies, deception, abusive behavior, missing money and more are detailed in the pages they read. Why is Abby getting anonymous threatening emails that appear related to what happened between her, Noah and Gia years ago, and is the timing of their arrival just a coincidence or is related to Gia’s disappearance? Above all else….where is Gia?
A thriller with hints of Patricia Highsmith set in an idyllic and sun drenched locale, Ladykiller has major “beach read” vibes as well as a visually stunning cover to entice readers to pick up a copy and toss it into their beach (or pool) bag. Chapters are told in alternating viewpoints, some from Abby’s viewpoint and others from Gia’s via the manuscript. Gia had once before written a book, one which chronicled the events of her 18th summer and the attack on Abby, and the reader is told by Abby that Gia was not strictly factual in that earlier book. The new manuscript, therefore, is likely a mix of truth and untruth, but it is impossible to determine what can (and cannot) be believed. Benny had a major crush on Abby all those years ago, and as they work together to find Gia Abby finds that she has feelings for Benny as well….but is it too late? Gia leads a reckless life, and her impulsive marriage quickly became volatile and potentially toxic, yet it is hard not to be somewhat sympathetic for her as things unravel. Emelia and Timeo, the couple who Gia and Garrett meet in a local restaurant and befriend may not be whom they appear to be….but as they get entangled in the sexual games that Gia and Garrett play, are they victims or villains? There are plenty of secrets and deceptions, red herrings and more to grab and hold the reader’s attention from beginning to end as they try to guess who, if anyone, is to be trusted. Fast paced and filled with details of the jet-set, exotic lifestyle Gia leads, Ladykiller was great fun to read. Fans of books by Liv Constantine, Gillian Flynn and Liane Moriarty should snatch up a copy for their summer reading pile. Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Bantam for allowing me access to an early copy of this steamy, twisty thriller.

The setting of this story was incredible!! Just imagine this being your life😍 I thought the story started off kinda boring but once things started to pick up, they never stopped. I was so intrigued about the lifestyle, the cons, finding out the truth, I couldn’t put this one down.

LADYKILLER by Katherine Wood is a twisty and racy mystery that kept me guessing all the way through. It is told from two points of view, that of Gia, a wealthy heiress, and Abby, the daughter of Gia’s family chef. Despite the differences in their circumstances, the two have been best friends since they were young. In fact, Gia’s father has generously paid for Abby’s education like a member of the family. When Gia and Abby were eighteen, a tragic event took place at Gia’s summer estate in Greece that changed the lives of both young women. Abby coped by throwing herself into her studies and Gia wrote a steamy memoir about her version of the events. Twelve years later, Gia invites Abby to join her and her brother, Benny, in Sweden to celebrate her birthday. But when Benny and Abby arrive, Gia is missing. They discover an unfinished manuscript that describe in detail the chilling events leading up to Gia’s disappearance. Is Gia telling the truth? Can Abby and Ben find her before another tragedy occurs? The tension rises as secrets and lies are slowly revealed. LADYKILLER is an intriguing story with plenty of drama to keep the reader turning the pages. I look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

Read if you like:
📚 Books within a Book
2️⃣ Dual POV
📖 Manuscript POV
❔ Mysteries
📧 Threats
⏳ Past and Present

Gia and Abby have been best friends since they were kids when Abby’s mom started working as Gia’s family’s private chef who lived in their pool house… through their years of close proximity and friendship they began to do everything together and Abby began to reap the benefits with going on trips and even the promise of her education being paid for by Gia’s dad.

When the girls were 18 they spent a summer in Greece at the family property where Abby and Gia met a boy names Noah who was a summer teenage dream, but when Gia becomes worried about his behavior after the broke off their fling, he later dies at Gia’s hands when Gia finds him naked with Abby, and we know that Abby didn’t quite tell the truth about what happened with Noah’s death that day.

Now 12 years later Abby is getting email threats that begin right before she gets on the plane to meet Gia in Sweden for her 30th birthday after Gia had a shotgun wedding that led to a huge fight between them when Abby begged her to not get married and refused to attend the ceremony.

But as we get Gia’s manuscript chapters that are very much her art imitating life as she journals for inspiration to write her next book (her first being her book about saving Abby from Noah that led to his death)… we find that her marriage to Garrett may not be as wonderful as it initially seemed it would be… especially as Garrett keeps needing loans for his failing business from Gia’s dwindling cash supply.

Gia and husband Garrett that she has been spending the summer back at her family’s property in Greece as she is getting it ready to sell as it was her sole inheritance from her father and she needs the money to float her lifestyle. And while there they meet some new friends out of luck that are stranded in Greece waiting for their lavish boat to be fixed so Gia impúlsely invites them to stay to spice up the summer a bit as things are getting a bit boring being only with her new husband. But are their new couple friends trustworthy?!

I really loved the mix of Gia and Abby’s narrations, the looming suspense and feeling of racing the clock to find out what is going on with Gia in present day as we are only getting her POV through her manuscript, wondering what the truth is, and also the romantic suspense between Abby and Benny added another fun layer to the story…

Thank you so much to Bantam for my physical and e ARC of this one as I really enjoyed this genre bending read and will definitely be reading more from this author!

If you pick up this book, be prepared to buckle your seatbelt because you are in for a roller coaster ride! This is my first time reading a book by Katherine Wood, and if her others are anything like this, I am immediately going to her back catalogue to read everything else! This book has pretty much everything you can think of: suspense, intrigue, romance, murder, mystery, passion, and a beautiful exotic locations. Add tons of money, deceit, betrayal, and so many twists, you get an absolute hit.

This story is centered around two siblings, Gia and Benny, and Gia's best friend Abby. They have been inseparable for almost half of their lives and are intwined even more from a past tragedy, the death of Gia's ex, Nick. Relationships are put to the test when Gia impulsively announces she is marrying an almost complete stranger named Garrett. Abby refuses to support this rush nuptial, and a huge crack begins to form in the threesome. To make amends, Gia invites Benny and Abby on a bucket list trip, to see the Northern Lights for Gia's birthday. Garrett will stay home in Greece to keep the peace and allow the three friends time to reconnect. On the way to Sweden, Abby begins to get some threatening messages which she assumes is tied to Nick's death twelve years earlier. When Gia fails to show up to the trip and calls to her go unanswered, Benny and Abby race to Greece to make sure Gia is safe. What they encounter when they get to Greece will change their lives forever.

This book was so well done. I loved the dual POVs used. Abby's is in real time, and Gia's is in manuscript form. You are unsure the timing of both so it adds to the intrigue to see when the two paths will merge. The reader is also left to decide for themselves what they think really happened to Gia at the end. Is she a victim, or did she brilliantly concoct a new tragedy. I had a hard time putting this down, and it really enforced my desire to go to Greece. Katherine did a great job with the scenery aspects, so I was immediately transported to the many locations used in the book. The supporting characters were also well developed and helped add to the layers of twists unfolding throughout the story.

I really wanted to like this one more than I did. I loved the setting - the secluded island in Greece. I liked the concept of the plot, and at times I was totally drawn into guessing what was going on. But.... ultimately, the writing was just not solid and felt clunky at times. So much telling and very little showing (I hate going there but this book was a perfect example of it). The dialogue was often forced. And....I was definitely not a fan of the ending.

BOOK REVIEW ALERT – Review, Recommendation, Rating & Opinion are my own.

This book is a gripping mystery thriller that takes readers on a suspenseful journey into the mind of a female serial killer. Set against the backdrop of a quiet, unsuspecting town, the novel explores the dark secrets lurking beneath a seemingly serene surface.

The story centers around Samantha Hunter, a charming and enigmatic woman who hides a deadly secret. By day, she is a beloved member of her community, but by night, she becomes a calculating killer. When a string of murders rocks the town, Detective Laura Mason is assigned to the case. Determined to uncover the truth, Laura must navigate a web of lies, deceit, and danger.

As Laura digs deeper, she finds herself entangled in a cat-and-mouse game with Samantha. The tension builds as Laura races against time to stop the killer before she strikes again. The novel is filled with unexpected twists and turns that keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.

Rating – 4.0/5 Stars
Recommendation – High

The Author’s writing is crisp and engaging, with a strong narrative voice that draws readers into the story. Her descriptive prose vividly brings the town and its inhabitants to life, creating an immersive reading experience. The pacing is well-balanced, with moments of intense action interspersed with quieter, introspective scenes that add depth to the characters.

This read is a standout mystery thriller that will appeal to fans of the genre. Katherine Wood masterfully blends suspense, psychological drama, and intricate plotting to create a compelling and unforgettable story. The novel’s well-crafted characters, gripping plot, and unexpected twists make it a must-read for anyone who loves a good thriller.

P.S – Thank You #NetGalley and #PenguinRandomHouse for providing me an e-Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Sex. Lies. Videotape. Pas Deux.
Katherine Wood’s novel “Ladykiller” is a story of wealth, cons and murder on an idyllic Greek island. Secrets abound in this novel and among the bodice-ripping sex scenes it becomes hard to distinguish who is the bad guy (or guys). The convoluted story ends with a cliff hanger—where is Gia, and when will she show up again. Is she still living the privileged life? Can Benny and Abby ever quit looking over their shoulders? A hint for the reader--Trust No One.
I found this book an interesting summer distraction—beach anyone?
My thanks to NetGalley, Ballentine/Bantam and Katherine Wood for an advanced copy of this book. My opinions are my own. 3.5 stars

This book is a really good, if a little generic, mystery/thriller. The setting is a real benefit to this novel, as it lends the whole book a cinematic air and really heightens the tension. The characters are interesting and well-written. The plot is well-developed and has good pacing. I liked the ending and didn’t feel like it was predictable. Overall, this book is really solid and perfect for a beach or vacation read.

The books description was intriguing, the cover was cool, but the story left something to be desired. The title can be surmised as someone killing women or a woman who was a killer. The story started off well, but really got bogged down with Gia's manuscript. The ending left a lot to be desired too. I had questions that just weren't answered. Overall it wasn't a bad story, just could have been so much more. I really didn't like any of the characters except Abby & Benny. I predicted some of the plot easily enough towards the beginning of the book. Good example of how obnoxious some rich people can be with their sense of entitlement.

You know, for a psychological thriller, this sure had a lot of sex scenes.

Ladykiller goes back and forth from the current timeline with Abby’s point of view, and the recent past in Gia’s manuscript. But Gia is basically just writing about rich person woes and it’s so clear she’s being conned (if that even is true…she’s a writer after all). But nothing was happening. And none of the characters are particularly likable.

Thus…I’ve moved on to greener pastures and I do declare DNF.

Thank you to PRH Audio for the free audiobook and Random House for the eARC.